Run or Shoot

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Run?...or Shoot?Tactical Survival in an Outbreak

Jim Wallman Version Sept 2009

Introduction and Method of PlayThese rules are designed for team play againstan umpire-controlled zombie infestation. It isheavily influenced by '28 Days Later' and thegame 'Left4Dead'. It is written for use with20mm/25mm figures and a good source of largenumbers of plastic zombies are the ones form theboard game Zombies!(they also glow in thedark). The balance of the rules is on theassumption that the survivors are very heavilyoutnumbered, maybe 20 or 30 to one overall.

Ideally the playing area should be fairly close like an urban or wooded area with plenty ofplaces for the zombie hordes to lurk in ambush.In the set up there should be a number ofconcealed hordes in basements, behind fences,down sewers etc. These are triggered by playeraction and attack. In addition there will be smallgroups or individual zombies scattered about theplaying area.

It is also a good idea for the umpire to set an

objective for the Survivors, such as:

Reach a designated fortified 'safe house'

Collect a certain number of items (food, drugs, weaponry) from the buildings in thearea

Find and rescue other, unarmed, survivors trapped in the area.

Get to a designated rescue / pick up point.

You can vary the challenge further by giving the players limited resources and encouragethem to pick up more along the way. (Oh look, a gun shop!)

Carrying LimitsEach survivor can carry

A pistol

A main weapon (this will be a gun or a large melee weapon, but not both)

Up to 8 minor items, which would be

A weapon reload (specify)

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A grenade, pipe bomb or Molotov cocktail

Binoculars

Torch

Tactical radio (the mobile phone network is down).

A First Aid Kit counts as two items.

Sequence of ActionIt is important to stick to this rigidly.

1. Place Action Card

2. Reveal Action Card

3. Survivors' Melee action

4. Zed melee damage

5. Survivor Movement, Run, Climb, Give, First Aid, Assist

6. Survivor grenade throwing

7. Standing Zed Movement. Crouching Hunters leap. Standing Hunters crouch

8. Knocked down zeds stand.

9. Survivors Shoot, Snipe or Reload

10. Boomers spit, Tanks throw rocks, Smokers ensnare

10. Knocked down survivors stand

Action CardsEach player has a set of cards marked as follows:

RUN Move 10cm, no shotCLIMB Climb a ladder / rope, up or down one level.SHOOT No move 3 shots (two shots if sniper rifle)BOTH Move 5cm, 1 shot

MELEE No move, punch/pistol whip 1d6 zeds in melee with you.RELOAD Replace your current clip, no move, no shotsFIRST AID Use a first aid kit on injuries of you or adjacent survivorORDER Give an instruction to one or more non-player survivors (NPS)GRENADE No move, throw grenadeSNIPE No move one sniper shot

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Each turn a player must select one card, and place it face down.It is possible to combine ORDER with RELOAD and ASSIST but nothing else.

The player may not tell other players what he is selecting.

OrdersNPS can be ordered to do things. Unarmed NPS will never move closer to a seen standingZed. If the NPS is a follower of the player then they will, by default, take the same action heis, unless something else is more obvious (i.e. MELEE if being jumped on by Zeds).Orders must be simple, like Run to the General Store or Shoot anything that comes roundthe corner, or Stay here, and make sure he doesn't leave. An NPS will follow the lastinstruction until the action is completed or a logical stopping point occurs (...such as runningout of targets when shooting perhaps).In all cases of doubt, the Umpire will rule on what the NPS does, based on the situation andthe nature of the character.

TerrainOpening or closing a door takes off 5cm from the moveClimbing wire fences takes a complete RUN action (for survivors)

ZedsAttacking Zed move 20cmDrifting Zed move 5cm

Standard Doors take 2 turn Zed/turns to smashReinforced Door take 10 Zed/turns to smash

Armoured Doors cannot be smashed by Zeds

MeleeMelee applies if Zeds in base to base contact at start of turn.If a Zed is in base to base contact it Groans. Multiple groans will attract more Zeds,Normally the Survivor rolls 1d6 for the number of Zeds he pushes back 3cm. The pushedback Zeds fall down but cannot be 'killed'.Every Zed still in contact after that does 1 point of damage.If you are not Immune and are damaged roll for Infected status (see below)

A Survivor armed with a specific melee weapon can choose to use that insteadof rolling forpush-back (as above). This will be against only one melee opponent at a time.Roll 1d10 (0=0)

WeaponKnock down roll 1d6 cmfor how far they go back.

Permanentlyincapacitate (KILL)

BLUNT : Cricket bat, baseball bat,crowbar, shovel, rifle butt

2 - 8 9+

SHARP: Sword, machete, spade, fireaxe 3 - 6 7+

POWERED: Chainsaw 2 - 5 6+

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Survivor InjuriesPlayer survivors take 4 hits to kill.For every hit received -2 cm on movement and -1 on shooting die rolls.Non-player survivors take one hit to kill

A First Aid kits can be used up to heal one hit. However, injured survivors can never behealed of all hits, one always remains.

SHOOTING1d10 (0=0) Firing is in forward 90 degree arc.

Weapon

Up to 30cm Over 30cmShots per clip

Body Head Body Head

Pistol 4 - 8 9+ 6+ - 6

Shotgun 2 - 7 8+ - - 7

Assault Rifle 3 - 6 7+ 5 - 8 9+ 6Sniper Rifle (SNIPE ONLY) 3 - 4 5+ 4 - 5 6+ 5

FactorsSniping +2Target stationary +1Target burning -1Disappearing target -1Target partly obscured (smoke / cover etc) -1

Shooting Effects on Zeds.A head hit always permanently neutralizes (=KILL)Body hits knock down the zed and knock it back 1d6 cm.It can get up next time in the appropriate phase of the sequence of action..

GrenadesIndicate the impact point, which must be within 30cm of the thrower. They have varied effectsaccording to type.

HE Grenade Knocks down all Zeds within 10cm radius. Roll 1d10 (0=0) for each Zedin the area, score 8 or 9 to Kill

Stun Grenade Knocks down all Zeds within 10cm radius. No kills.

Pipe Bomb Knocks down all Zeds within 10cm radius. Roll 1d10 (0=0) for each Zedin the area, score 5 or more to Kill

Molotov Cocktail Creates flaming area 10cm radius. All Zeds that move through the areaare on fire for 5 turns, and are destroyed at the end of that.

WP Grenade Attracts Zeds within 10cm of impact point. Burns for 2 turns. All Zedsthat reach it are destroyed.

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HordesThese are hidden groups of Zeds (up to 1d6 x10) who lurk waiting for some stimulus toactivate them.Stimuli are:

Car Alarms if a Survivor uses a parked vehicle as cover, roll 5+ on a d10 for it to go

off. A horde within 40cm will be activated Loud noises such as explosions a horde within 40cm will be activated

other Zeds groaning. Any zeds in melee groan. Roll 1d10 score number of groans orless to activate a Horde within 40cm

being discovered by a survivor automatically activates.

Hordes swarm towards the nearest survivors, spreading out and zig-zagging towards themaiming to close to melee.

When attacking the Zeds have the following priorities:1. WP grenade within 10cm2. Living in the open within 20cm3. Known concentrations of multiple living (i.e.in a building or vehicle)4. Loud noises (automatic fire, car horns etc)5. Multiple Zed groaning.

Drifting Zeds

These are individuals in random locations.Umpire will Roll 1d6 for drift movement1,2 or 3 stand still4 Turn left 2 cm5 Turn right 2 cm6 Move forward 2cm

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If they come within 5cm of a survivor, or a survivor enters their line of sight, then they charge.

Infection TestThis is done secretly by the Umpire, as players will not always know if someone is infected.

If a survivor has not previously been checked for immunity, roll 1d10 (0=0) when first

damaged by a zed.Player Survivors 0 or 1 = infected; 2+ = ImmuneNon-player Survivors 0 to 7 = infected; 8+ = ImmuneIf inflected, roll 1d10 each turn. Score 0 to die. The next turn, stand up as a Zed. TheUmpire may ask the uninfected to roll too.

Mutated ZedsIf the basic hordes were not enough, the virus also causes some extreme mutations.Normally there would only be one or two of these in any scenario.

Hunter these can climb walls and jump and act with animal cunning. They need to crouchand spring. So give up one round of movement, to spring 10cm. Any shooting on a springingHunter is on a -4. If it gets to base to base contact, it pins the victim to the ground and thatvictim is helpless in the next round, taking 1d3 hits per turn.

Tank giant mutant, they move at the same speed at normal ones, but take10 hits and are not affected by head shots or knocked back by hits. Whenthey do melee damage it is 1d3 and they also knock back the survivor 2d6cm.They are not slowed down by doors, fences or thin walls. If they can't reach asurvivor they will throw a car, rock etc for 1d3 damage.

Boomer spits slime, markinga survivor for a horde the nearesthorde isattracted to it. Boomers are not knocked down ANY hit incapacitates them but anyonewithin 10cm of a boomer when it is hit is slimed too. Boomers tend to be in close ambushpositions.

Smoker prehensile tongue range 10cm ensnares on a 5+, -1 if targetmoved 5, -2 if target moved 10. This pulls the victim to it and does 1d6damage. Often found in high places / rooftops to drag their victim off theirfeet.

Witch appears like a crying woman, sitting on the ground. If disturbed itwill attack moves at 20cm and pins the victim like a Hunter.She is disturbed by:

Survivor coming within 10cm

Load noise within 20cm

Bright lights

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SUGGESTED CHARACTER BACKGROUNDS

William "Bill" Overbeck is a Vietnam veteran who served in the US Army 1st Special ForcesGroup. His combat skills have helped to keep him alive, he is also the oldest of the group. Ittook two eventful tours in Vietnam, a handful of medals, a knee full of shrapnel, and an

honorable discharge before the unthinkable happened: Bill ran out of wars. But now an armyof undead has declared war on humanity. After decades of aimless drifting and dead-endjobs, Bill's finally gotten back the only thing he ever wanted: an enemy to fight

Francis is a large, tough biker with tattoos covering his arms and neck. His tattoos identifyhim as a member of "Hell's Legion", cocky, loud, and pretty sure he's indestructible, Francisacts like the zombie apocalypse is the world's biggest bar fight. When the virus hit, everybodyelse stockpiled food and looked for a place to hide. Francis found a gun and had some fun.No cops, no laws, no orderif it wasn't for all the zombies, he could almost get used to lifelike this.

Louis is an assistant manager at a local retail electronics chain store. Now he is a JuniorSystems Analyst in his company's IT department. Louis had been working up the courage toquit his job as Junior Systems Analyst at his company's IT department when a virus showedup and downsized the world. Now Louis has a new set of goals (live long enough to succeed)and a new set of tools (guns, sharp objects) to help him achieve them. With any luck, he'llfigure out how the new management operates before they get a chance to murder him.

Zoey is the teenage daughter of a wealthy family. After spending her first semester holed upin a dorm room watching old horror movies, Zoey was given a choice: Stop fooling aroundand get her grades up, or drop out. Now that the planet's overrun with murderous zombies,and all of her professors are dead, Zoey at least has the cold comfort that she's beenstudying up on the right subject after all.

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RUN

Move 10cm, no shot SHOOTNo move 3 shots(two shots if sniper rifle)

CLIMB

Climb a ladder / rope,up or down one level.

BOTH

Run and Shoot.Move 5cm, 1 shot

MELEE

No move, punch/pistol whip 1d6 zeds

in melee with you.

RELOAD

Replace your current clip, no move, no

shots

SNIPENo move one sniper shot

GRENADE

No move, throw grenade

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ORDER

Give an instruction to one or morenon-player survivors (NPS)

FIRST AID

Use a first aid kiton injuries of you

or adjacent survivor

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Run or Shoot